A Knight, A Damsel, A Foe
by PeaceLoveTea
Summary: Just a little poem I wrote when I couldn't get to sleep. The King's poet sings the tale of Mount Pire's origins.


_"And the wine flowed and tales were told and jokes were cracked, and then silence was made and the King's poet with two fiddlers stepped out into the middle of the circle. Aravis and Cor prepared themselves to be bored, for the only poetry they knew was the Calormene kind, and you know now what that was like. But at that very first scrape of the fiddles a rocket seemed to go up inside their heads, and the poet sang the great old lay of Fair Olvin and how he fought the Giant Pire and turned him into stone (and that is the origin of Mount Pire-- it was a two-headed Giant) and won the Lady Liln for his bride; and when it was over they wished it was going to begin again."_  
-C.S. Lewis: The Horse and His Boy

Draw near, gather round  
All you noble beasts  
Let me sing you a tale  
Of most magnificent feats

So come forth, I dare say  
Circle round the glowing fire  
Hear the untold story  
Of mysterious Mount Pire

Our story takes place in a valley  
That is, today, not easily found  
And, inhabited only by a giant,  
Fruits, plants, and streams did abound

And although it may seem unbelievable,  
This tale indeed happened, long ago  
When Archenland was only just forming  
And Narnia imprisoned in snow

But now, on with the promised story  
Of a knight, a damsel, a foe  
And the adventure shared between the three  
Filled with bravery, pride, anguish, and woe

Our story begins with a man  
Sir Olvin, he was dubbed  
And although he descended from Kings,  
His lineage the White Witch had snubbed

She banished all humans from Narnia  
And he was forced to move along  
He settled down in Calormene  
Though he knew he did not truly belong

His hair was fair and light  
As was his ivory skin  
Unlike the Calormens' dark hair  
And the beards that grew on their chins

So he traveled across the desert once more  
Beneath the scorching sun  
Until he reached the mountains  
Where his adventures really begun

He arrived at the valley afore mentioned  
Where a two-headed giant stayed  
And in its clutches it held  
A fair and beautiful maid

It was then and there that Fair Olvin  
He made a pledge and a vow  
That he would rescue this beautiful lady  
Though frankly, he did not know how

But as he waited and plotted  
A plan formed throughout his mind  
Magic would defeat this giant  
And it was magic he would find

Soon he left the valley  
And traveled to the woods in the west  
There he met an old hag  
Whom he told of his dangerous quest

This hag was unlike most others  
She understood his notion  
And after some brewing and mixing  
She concocted a powerful potion

'This potion is strengthened with magic,' she said  
And handed him the vile  
'It will turn anyone to stone,' she added  
With a toothy, crooked smile

Olvin thanked her and left  
Carrying the liquid in his belt  
And after much traveling he arrived  
At the valley where the giant dwelt

Drawing the only weapon he had  
A sword with a broken tip  
He rushed from his place within the bushes  
And climbed up the giant's huge hip

Now this giant, called Pire, was dumb  
And did not react until late  
Olvin was scrambling up his back  
The human's blows did not abate

Pire whipped around and around  
Trying to throw his attacker away  
But Olvin only clung tighter  
It was this giant he meant to slay

Yet fair maiden remained in Pire's clutch  
Her shrieks echoed as he spun  
The battle was at a stand still  
It seemed it was not to be won

Soon Olvin's head peeked over Pire's shoulder  
And from his belt he drew the potion  
And as he poured it down one head's throat  
The giant stopped and ceased all motion

Its hands spread open in shock  
And the Lady fell from them with a cry  
The giant was slowly turning to stone  
And Olvin was left up so high

He found himself standing on a mountain  
But its peak was forked in two  
However he felt no victory  
The Lady was dead, he knew

He climbed down the new mountain slowly  
Feeling guilty for the death he had caused  
But upon reaching the bottom  
His heart skipped a beat and paused

The maiden stood before him  
Unharmed and perfectly well  
He could hardly believe his eyes  
He had seen her when she fell!

She smiled a sweet, tender smile  
And thanked him for his heroic deed  
And when he asked how she had survived  
She simply held up a weed

'The fireflower,' she said  
Her voice clear and pure  
'I landed in a patch on impact,  
And it provided me with a cure.'

'With one taste of the dew from this flower,  
I was stripped of all pain.  
So you see, brave unknown knight,  
Your chivalry was not in vane.'

Upon hearing this, Olvin sighed  
And the Lady owed him her life  
However he asked only one thing-  
If she would be his wife

Lady Liln, as she was called,  
Felt her heart fill with love  
She agreed with vigorous passion  
And turned her back on the giant she was free of

The pair lived in the mountains  
Where their lives turned out grand  
And it is rumoured that these two  
Were the first King and Queen of Archenland

So thus concludes our tale  
Of Olvin, Liln, and Pire  
It's moral is simply this  
Your dreams you'll achieve, if you aspire

* * *

Just a poem I wrote at around three in the morning when I couldn't get to sleep. Hope you liked it . It has a corny ending thatalmost makes me gag, but eh, that's how it turned out -shrugs- 


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